Partnerships that Work

By Bruce Carter, Ph.D.Chair, Board of Directors

It’s become a truism in global health that partnership is the key to success. No single company or government or institute can possibly do it all. But a successful partnership requires a special kind of nurturing.

But a successful partnership requires a special kind of nurturing.

At IDRI, we have observed through many years of experience with effective and lasting partnerships that certain approaches can make a big difference.

Transparent communications. This builds trust, so that when something goes wrong, the partners can assume good intentions and focus on solving the problem rather than assigning blame.

Clear alignment of interests. This enables partners to efficiently work towards a common goal.

Early success. It helps to start with an easy win so that partners are energized to continue to build upon that success.

IDRI partners with companies and organizations around the world to provide vaccine technologies.

The greatest challenge to a successful global health partnership is often simply maintaining alignment on the initial objectives and the strategies to achieve them. What seems like perfect clarity can change over time as new interpretations creep in. That’s where taking the time to develop personal relationships is crucial.

At IDRI, we are extremely proud of our partnerships. The Global Health Vaccine Center of Innovation, a collaboration with Sanofi and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is just one of many examples where we work with partners on vaccines to fight the diseases of the poor, and our expertise in adjuvants provided the spark that made that relationship possible.

We pledge to you our continued energy toward building trust and alignment around our shared goal of developing technologies to save lives. We look forward to working with you in 2017.